Edmund Paston to Margaret Paston

Add. 27446, f. 47

1481-1484

Gairdner, Vol VI, item 975; Fenn, Vol V, Edward IV item 64

LETTER LXIV.

To my Ryght wurchypfull
And especiall good mother
Margaret Paston.

RYGHT worchypfull and moste especialle good modyr jn
my moste vmble wyse w^t alle my dute and s^rvyse I Reco-
mawnd me to yow besechynge zow of zo^r blessyng whyche
is to me moste joye of erthely thynge And it plese zow to
be so good and kynd modyr to me to forgeue me And also
my wyffe of ow^r leude offence yat we haue not don ow^r dute
whyche was to haue seyn and ave waytyd up on zow or now
my huswyffe trustythe to ley to zow her huswyferey for
her excuse wyche I muste beseche zow not to accepte for
jn good faythe I deme her mynde hathe ben other weys
ocapyed ya˜ to huswyfery whyche semyth welle by y^e
latchesnes of y^e tylthe of her landds I beseche god for y^e
forderawnce of the˜ as now Rewarde zow And y^e good p^rson
of Mautby and also Masty^r baley who I wende woold not
have balkyd this por loggeyng to Norwyche wards I undyr-
stand by y^e bryngger her of yat ze entende to Ryde to Wal-
syngh˜m yf it please zow yat I may wette y^e seayson as my
dute is J shalle be redy to awayte up on zow Plese it zow
yat y^e brynggar her of cam to me for x^s viij^d whyche I shuld
ow hys fadyr trew it was at my laste dep^rtyng from hy˜ I
owte hy˜ somych but s^rtaynly or I cam at Thetford home
wards J thowt of co˜cyence he owte to haue restoryd me as
myche I had my horsse w^t hy˜ at Lyvery and amonge alle on
of them was putte to gresse and to labur so yat he dyed of
a laxe by y^e wey I payed for hard mete eu^r to hy˜ Plese it
zow to delyv^r Kateryn v^s wyche J send zow i˜ this bylle I
am not assartaynd how she is purveyde of mony towards
her Jornay yf her fadyr cowde not acleymed j^d of me J
woold not se her dysporveyd yf I myght nor y^e poreste
chyld yat is belonggyng to hys loggeyng Modyr my wyffe
is boold to send zow a tokyn I beseche zow p^rdon alle
thynggs not don acordyng to dute I beseche god send zow
y^e accomplyshme˜t of zo^r moste and woorchypfull desyers
At Owby y^e Sat^rday nex^t befor Candylmes.

zo^r omble son
and sruant

EDMUND PASTON.

8½ by 9¼.

This letter appears to have been written very soon after Edmund Paston’s
marriage with the widow of William Clippesby, as it seems to imply that he
had not yet carried his bride to pay her duty to his mother.

Autograph, Pl. xx. No. 30.

Seal, a Fleur-de-lys. Pl. xiv. No. 4.

LETTER LXIV.

To my Right Worshipful and especial good Mother, Margaret
Paston.

RIGHT worshipful and most especial good mother, in my
most humble wise, with all my duty and service, I recom-
mend me to you, beseeching you of your blessing, which is to
me most joy of earthly thing; and it please you to be so good
and kind, mother, to me, to forgive me, and also my wife,
of our lewd [rude] offence, that we have not done our duty,
which was to have seen you and have waited upon you ere
now. My huswife trusteth to lay to you her houswifry for
her excuse, which I must beseech you not to accept, for in
good faith, I deem her mind hath been otherwise occupied
than as to houswifry, which seemeth well by the lachesness
[negligence] of the tilth of her lands. I beseech God, for
the furtherance of them as now reward you, and the good
parson of Maultby and also Master Baily, who I wend
would not have balked this poor lodging to Norwich ward.

I understand by the bringer hereof that ye intend to ride
to Walsingham, if it please you that I may weet the season,
as my duty is, I shall be ready to await upon you.

Please it you, that the bringer hereof came to me for 10s.
8d. which I should owe his father; true it was at my last
departing from him, I owed him so much, but certainly ere
I came at Thetford homewards, I thought of conscience he
ought to have restored me as much; I had my horses with
him at livery, and among all one of them was put to grass
and to labour, so that he died of a lax by the way; I paid
for hard meat ever to him.

Please it you to deliver Katharine 5s. which I send you
in this bill. I am not ascertained how she is purveyed of
money towards her journey. If her father could not have
claimed one penny of me, I would not see her dispurveyed
[unprovided] if I might, nor the poorest child that is belong-
ing to his lodging.

Mother, my wife is bold to send you a token; I beseech
you pardon all things not done according to duty. I be-
seech God send you the accomplishment of your most wor-
shipful desires. At Oby, the Saturday next before Candle-
mas.

Your humble Son
and Servant,

EDMUND PASTON.

Oby,
Saturday, 29th January,
1479-80. 19 E. IV.

This letter appears to have been written very soon after Edmund Paston’s
marriage with the widow of William Clippesby, as it seems to imply that he
had not yet carried his bride to pay her duty to his mother.

Autograph, Pl. xx. No. 30.

Seal, a Fleur-de-lys. Pl. xiv. No. 4.

44

975

EDMUND PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To my ryght wurchypfull and especiall good mother,
Margaret Paston.

      RYGHT worchypfull and moste especialle good modyr,
          in my moste umble wyse, with alle my dute and ser-
          vyse, I recomawnd me to yow, besechynge zow of
zour blyssyng, whyche is to me moste joy of erthely thynge;
and it plese zow to be so good and kynd modyr to me to for-
geve me, and also my wyffe, of owr leude offence that we have
not don ower dute, whyche was to have seyn and ave waytyd
up on zow or now. My huswyffe trustythe to ley to zow her
huswyferey for her excuse, wyche I muste beseche zow not
to accepte, for in good faythe I deme her mynde hathe ben
other weys ocapyed than as to huswyfery, whyche semyth
welle by the latchesnes of the tylthe of her landdes. I beseche
God for the forderawnce of them as now rewarde zow and
the good parson of Mautby, and also Mastyer Baley, who I
wende woold not have balkyd this pore loggeyng to Norwyche
wardes.

I undyrstand by the bryngger here of that ze entende to
ryde to Walsyngham; yf it please zow that I may wete the
seayson, as my dute is, I shalle be redy to awayte up on zow.
Plese it zow that the brynggar here of cam to me for xs.
viijd. whyche I shuld ow hys fadyr; trew it was at my laste
departyng from hym, I owte hym somych, but sertaynly or I
cam at Thetfford homewardes, I thowt of concyence he owte
to have restoryd me as myche. I had my horsse with hym at
lyvery, and amonge alle one of them was putte to gresse and
to labur, so that he dyed of a laxe by the wey. I payed for
hard mete ever to hym.

Plese it zow to delyver Kateryn vs., wyche I send zow in
this bylle. I am not assartaynd how she is purveyde of mony
towardes her jornay. Yf her fadyr cowde not acleymed jd. of
me, I woold not se her dysporveyd, yf I myght, nor the poreste
chyld that is belonggyng to hys loggeyng.

Modyr, my wyffe is boold to send zow a tokyn. I
beseche zow pardon alle thyngges not done acordyng to dute.
I beseche God send zow the accomplyshment of zour moste
and woorchypfull desyers.

At Owby, the Saterday next before Candylmes.

Zour umble son and servant,

EDMOND PASTON.

¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] Fenn dates this letter 1479-80, suggesting that it
must have been written very soon after Edmund Paston’s marriage with the widow of
William Clippesby, as it seems to imply that he had not yet carried his bride to pay
her duty to his mother. I do not, for my part, know the date of this marriage, and
I suspect Fenn had no other clue to it than the fact that William Clippesby, the
lady’s first husband, died on the 24th September 1479; but I presume his widow was
still unmarried when she proved his will on the 18th May 1480 (see Blomefield, xi.
144). I consider, therefore, that the letter must have been written between the years
1481 and 1484, as Margaret Paston died in November of the latter year.

Between
1481-4